Button



(No Model.) I C. S. GOODING.

BUTTON.

No. 486,461. Patented Nov. 22, 1892.,

$915-$555: 15 NVENTEJRH C. "/9 ya! 2% I d l UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES S. GOODING, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,461, dated November 22, 1892.

Application filed March 3, 1892- .Zo aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. GOODING, of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot or Shoe Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buttons having heads of papier-mach or other like material adapted to be formed in a mold and a Wire shank secured to the head by being embedded in the body thereof. The ordinary shoe-button of commerce consists of a molded head and a wire shank formed as an eye, adapted to be attached by stitches to the upper of a boot or shoe. The ends of the piece of wire constituting the eye of an ordinary shoe-button are bent within the body of the button, so that they are interlocked with the material of which the button-head is made.

My invention involves the employment of a molded head and a wire shank having its ends bent and embedded in the material of the head, substantially as in the ordinary shoebutton; and it consists in certain improvements hereinafter described in the form and construction of the shank, whereby it is enabled to be engaged with the upper of a boot or shoe without the use of stitches or other fastening devices.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of a boot or shoe button provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a side view of the same, the head of the button being shown in section. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of a piece of material, which may be the button-piece of a boot or shoe upper, provided with a series of buttons constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of the button-shank, the head being removed and the shank shown on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 represents a botton1,view of the shank.

The same letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents the head of a shoe-button, which maybe of the material commonly employed in the well-known shoebuttons of commerce, said material being molded by any suitable means into the desired Serial No. 423,571. (No model.)

form. There is nothing new in the form of the button-head nor in the manner of making it, my invention being confined to the shank, which I will now describe. Said shank is composed of a piece of wire bent at its central portion into two parts, which are in contact with each other for a greater part of the length of the shank, said parts being separated only at the end of the shank that is Within the button-head, where they are provided with barbs 2 2, which are embedded in the head and cause the firm engagement of the shank with the head, as in the ordinary shoe-button, in which the ends of the wire piece forming the eye are similarly bent and engaged with the material of the head. I prefer to give the prongs 2 2 the curved form shown and to form teeth or barbs 3 3 upon their outer sides, as shown in Fig. 4; but I do not limit myself to this form and may make said prongs at right angles with the portions of the wire from which they are bent, or may give them any other suitable form, which will cause the secure engagement of the shank with the head.

The shank composed of the two parts or strands of wire, as above described, is suitably treated to give it the following parts, viz: first, the straight or approximately-straight neck portion 4, extending from the buttonhead, said portion being of suflicient length to pass through the portion of the shoe-upper to which the button is attached or through one or more thicknesses of the said portion and give the head the desired projection from the upper surface of said portion; secondly, the arm 5, arranged at about a right angle with the portion 4 and extending outwardly from the portion 4 a suitable distance, and, thirdly, the curved portion 6, which is a continuation of the portion 5 and is bent into circular or approximately-circular form, its outer end being in close proximity to the outer end of the portion 5. I prefer to give the curved portion 6 such form that its main portion is substantially concentric with the portion 4, the said portion 6 being in about the same plane as the arm 5, said plane being substantially at right angles with the length of the portion 4, so that the arm 5 and the curved portion 6 constitute a foot, which is adapted to bear upon the inner side of a piece of material to which the button is attached, the portion 4 passing through said piece and supporting the head outside of or above said piece.

The free end of the curved portion 6 is preferably slightly bent downwardly, as shown at 7, so that it is slightly separated from the outer end of the arm 5, and is therefore adapted to pass through a hole formed for its reception in the button-piece of a boot or shoe upper. When the said free end of the curved portion 6 is thus inserted and the button is rotated, the said curved portion is caused to act on the principle of a screw and pass through the button-piece, a complete rotation of the button bringing the outer end of the arm 5 to the hole in the button-piece, when by suitable manipulation, involving a lateral movement of the button, the said arm may be also caused to enter said hole, so that the entire foot is located at the inner side of the piece. The portion 6 of the foot is preferably curved at 8, close to the point where it joins the arm 5, the object of this curvature being to prevent the liability of the accidental withdrawal of the foot from the hole in the button-piece.

It will be seen that the shank provided with a screw foot-piece is enabled to be securely attached to the upper without the use of additional fastening means and that the foot when engaged with the upper lies closely against the inner surface of the part through which the shank passes, so that there is no proturberance suflicient to cause discomfort to the wearer. The button can be applied and removed without disfiguring the upper, so that it is entirely feasible to readjust the button to adapt it to the wearers foot. By doubling the wire of which the shank is made I not only enable it to be securely engaged with the head of the button by means of the prongs 2 2, but also give the free end of the screw portion of the foot a rounded form, which prevents it from scratching orinj uring any surface with which it may come in contact, said free end being composed of the central bend of the wire.

This improved device may be used as a lacing-stud, the firm support given by the shank and the flat spiral foot enabling the head to support the lateral pressure of a lacing-cord upon it.

I claim- 1. The improved shoe button or stud consisting of a suitable head and a shank of doubled wire engaged at its ends with the head, said shank including a substantiallyfiat spiral foot having the central bend of the wire at its free end, and a neck portion connecting the foot with the button-head, as set forth.

2. The improved shoe button or stud consisting of a suitable head and ashank of doubled wire engaged at its ends with the head, said shank including a substantiallyflat spiral foot having the central bend of the wire at its free end, and a neck portion connecting the foot with the button-head, said neck portion having barbed ends embedded in the button-head, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 1st day of March, A. D. 1892.

CHAS. S. GOODING.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN,. A. D. HARRISON. 

